Legend of the new manager's attention to detail grows as Marcel Bout leaves pre-season tour to study Spaniards they'll meet in final warm-up match

Devils in the details: Bout (right) left tour to do scouting for United's last pre-season fiendly (Photo: John Peters)

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Louis van Gaal has sent his top scouting spy on a 3,700-mile journey to check out Valencia – ahead of Manchester United’s upcoming friendly with the Spanish side, writes Steve Bates in the Sunday People .

The Dutchman’s well-known attention to detail is already being felt at the Old Trafford giants with a raft of innovative changes to restore United to glory after last season’s disastrous performance.

But his decision to send opposition scout and analyst Marcel Bout from United’s USA training camp in Washington DC to spy on Valencia in their Emirates Cup match against Monaco at Arsenal on Saturday staggered senior club figures.

Trusted Dutch aide Bout was flown back to the UK on Thursday to run the rule over Valencia, who play United in a warm-up game on August 12 – four days before the season starts.

Despite the match against the Spaniards only being a friendly, Van Gaal is leaving no stone unturned.

A United source said: “The manager’s attention to detail is absolutely incredible. He wanted to know all about how Valencia set up even though it’s just a friendly, so he sent Marcel Bout all the way from America back to London.

“His professionalism is astonishing and his influence is already rubbing off on everyone.”

Meanwhile, Van Gaal is telling United’s American owners NOT to pursue any money-spinning friendlies in the first three months of the new season.

He wants time to lay down his playing style during an intense 10-week training ground programme.

And he does not want distractions like lucrative friendly games in Dubai and Qatar before Christmas.

Van Gaal was horrified by the commercial obligations and gruelling travelling on United’s US tour.

The Glazer family, who own United, are believed to want to play two or three big-money friendlies – at least one in the Middle East – to compensate for £30million of lost revenue after failing to qualify for the Champions League.

Speaking ahead of United’s Saturday night game against Real Madrid in Michigan, Van Gaal said: “We have discussed the situation about friendly games in the season already.

“But I think in the first 10 weeks of the new season we have to train. That period is vital for me to work with the players, after that it will be a different situation.”